Galway take a while to get going but still get job done

By Pádraic Ó Ciardha

FOR the second game running, a slow start threatened to derail Galway’s 2022 championship campaign but, just as against Armagh, Galway eventually set things right against Derry last Saturday to reach the county’s first All Ireland final in 21 years.

Unlike in the quarter-final, there was no late collapse from Galway and even though Lachlan Murray did squeeze through for a late goal, the Tribesmen were long out of sight at that stage. It might not have been pretty, but the important thing is that Galway found a way.

The most pleasing aspect for Pádraic Joyce and his management team will be that Galway have improved game on game throughout the championship. The new defensive system brought in at the beginning of the campaign has been put through some rigorous tests at this stage but Galway are still standing. They’re far from the finished article but it’s no bad thing either to have a couple of things to work on heading into an All-Ireland final.

Certainly, Galway will need to click into gear quicker when facing Clifford and co next weekend. Galway were held scoreless for the first 21 minutes as they trailed 0-0 to 0-3 but, as strange as it is to say, the Tribesmen actually did plenty right during that opening quarter. Defensively, they were sticking very much to the plan but in attack, Galway’s decision making was very poor.

Galway’s shot conversion rate against Armagh was a remarkable 74% with that success being in large parts down to the patience they showed on the ball. They had multiple attacking moves in that quarter-final which involved 20-plus passes as Galway moved the ball around until the right man popped up in the right place to take a shot.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.

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